The Best Surprises Come In Small Packages
by kassmarie
Summary: Meredith get a surprise in the form of a little pink plus sign. But when there's a chance that Derek isn't responsible for it, a whole new set of problems arise. Because as we all know, nothing goes according to plan in the life of Meredith Grey.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: Hey there! New story! Standard disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any charcacters, blah, blah, blah.  
>This story's set somewhere in the midst of Season 6. Izzie's left already, there hasn't been a shooting. Etc. Etc. Basically I'm just making stuff up as I go along, so forgive me if some details aren't totally accurate.<br>And I know this chapter isn't super long, but I'm just wanted to get it out there and get a feel for what you guys think. Reviews are appreciated! Should I keep going? Scrap it? Is it brilliant, or total crap? Let me know!_**

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><p>Meredith stared at the small stick she held in her hand. It was as if the little pink plus sign was glaring back at her, rubbing it's existence in her face, saying:<em> Just look what you've done this time.<em>

"Well?" Cristina tapped her foot impatiently."What does it say?"

Meredith looked up and sighed. "I'm pregnant."

Cristina's eyes went wide. She knew it was a possibility that her best friend could have gotten herself knocked up, but she wasn't _really_ expecting it. You can't really prepare for something like that.

"Woah." She responded, for lack of a better word.

"No kidding." Meredith's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Well..." Cristina said after a minute or two of silence. "Shepherd's never made it a secret that he wants kids." When Meredith didn't respond, she continuted. "I know you're probably freaking out right now worried about being a terrible mom and turning into your mother, but Mer, you're not Ellis Grey." When Meredith _still_ didn't say anything, Cristina threw her hands up in the air. "You're having a McBaby!"

It was then that Cristina saw the look on Meredith's face. It wasn't happy or excited, it wasn't even scared or anxious. She looked... sad. "Mer... why are you being so quiet?"

"You know that me and Derek have been having problems lately." Meredith began slowly. "It hasn't been all rainbows and sunshine for awhile now."

"Yeah..." Cristina said, not liking where this was going. "So?"

"Well, it's possible... It's not, I, the baby might not be Derek's..." Meredith stuttered softly.

"What?" Cristina couldn't believe her ears. She knew Meredith's relationship with McDreamy wasn't always perfect, but she'd never expected her to stray. Well, at least not hide it from her best friend. "What the hell, Mer?"

"I know, I know." Meredith said as a shadow of guilt spread across her face.

"You're married for godsakes! Well, not married-married, but post-it married!" Cristina shook her head. This was a mess. When could this have happened? How could this have happened. And more importantly, _who_ had made this happen? "You cheated on Derek, and got yourself knocked up by some random guy from Joe's and didn't even tell me! Do you even know who the guy is?"

Meredith kept her eyes on the floor, looking more and more guilty by the second. "Yes." She whispered. "I know who it is." She ignored the small insult Cristina had made. She knew it wasn't her friends intention to hurt her. After all, it was a valid question.

"Uh-oh." Cristina said. She knew this look well. "It wasn't a random one-night-stand, was it? You had an affair! With someone we _know_!" This was too much for her to process. She'd had her moments of utter disbelief when dealing Meredith-drama before, but this was one to top all others.

"It wasn't an affair!" Meredith felt the need to defend herself. She knew what she did was wrong, but she wasn't going to let Cristina make this into something it wasn't. "It just sort of happened. It was only one time! Well... a couple of times."

It's true, it was only supposed to be one time. They'd chalked up to a drunken mistake. But when it happened again, and again, while they were sober and willing... Well, let's just say Meredith now had to take responsibility for her discretions.

"Who was it?" Cristina asked accusingly. She waited in silence. And then suddenly, it all clicked. The one person who had been left heartbroken by the woman he loved. The one person who wouldn't give a damn if it meant Meredith was cheating. The one person who would have been here, in the house, on the cold nights that Derek wasn't.

"Alex."


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Just another tidbit to see how you guys like the idea. Reviews are appreciated!**_

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><p>It was a week later and Cristina was still the only one who knew about Meredith's 'situation'.<p>

"You_ need_ to tell him, Mer." Cristina said, referring to Derek. Her and Meredith were sitting in a gallery watching Dr. Sloan fix a woman's face in the OR below. Needless to say, they were the only ones in the room.

"I know." Meredith said. This wasn't the first time she'd heard this. Cristina had been hounding her to tell Derek since she found out about the pregnancy.

"You know you can't keep it a secret forever. You're going to show eventually. People are going to assume things. He has to know. He's your husband."

"I _know_, Cristina."

"Then why haven't you done it yet?"

"Because... I think, I think I should tell Alex first."

"What? Why?" Cristina asked, thoroughly confused. She hadn't even been sure that Meredith was going to tell Alex that the baby might be his. At least not right away. She never expected Mer to just put on a happy face and play house with Derek, while not know the who the child's real father was. But she certainly didn't expect her to come to this conclusion. Especially so soon. She'd never been the most decisive person.

"Derek's going to be so excited. He's going to want to tell everyone. You know, brag, or something. I don't want Alex to find out through the grapevine. You know how gossip travels through the hospital. He'll think I was hiding it from him."

"Yeah but if you decide to tell Alex, that means you have to tell Derek _about _Alex. You get that, right?"

Meredith stared out of the glass, clearly lost in her own thoughts. Cristina didn't even know if her words were registering in her friends brain.

"I don't even know if I _want_ to be with Derek anymore. I feel like we've been over for a long time. I think we've both felt it. We just haven't done anything about it. We just stayed together... I mean, what else are we gonna do, you know? But now... But now, with this," She gestured to her stomach. "It's the final straw. Our relationship won't survive this."

"Mer... You know the baby could still be his. What are you gonna do then?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do." Meredith sighed, finally meeting her friends eyes. "Regardless of who the father is."

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><p>It was another few hours before Meredith ran into Derek. Literally. He had just finished up a consult and crashed right into her as he was leaving the patients room.<p>

"I'm so sorry- oh, Mer, hey." He said. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She gave a faint smile that didn't reach her eyes. After a few moments of awkward silence, she asked "Are you going to be home tonight?"

"Uh, well I'm on call and I have a bunch of paperwork to catch up on, so I was just gonna stay here." Derek shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

"Oh, okay, sure." It didn't surprise her that he wasn't coming home. She barely saw him anymore as it was. But she was past the point of caring, and she realized that. "I'll just see you later then."

He gave her a chaste kiss on her cheek before going on his way.

Meredith watched the man she used to be so madly in love with walk away without so much as a backward glance. She didn't feel angry. She didn't feel hurt. She felt... indifferent. She just didn't care anymore.

She pulled out her phone and fired off a quick text to Alex:

_Joe's tonight?_

It was only a few moments later when she got his reply.

_My shift ends at 8._


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey guys." Joe greeted as Meredith and Alex entered the bar later that night. "The usual?" He asked Meredith, gesturing toward the tequila.

"Uh, no thanks. I'll just have a water." Meredith answered somewhat sheepishly.

Alex looked at her, slightly puzzled at her request. His confusion only heightened when she asked if he wanted to grab a booth for them instead of taking their regular stools at the bar.

Once they were seated Alex nodded towards her water and asked, "What's with that?"

"Uh, I just, uh didn't feel like drinking tonight." She responded half-heartedly.

"You're not trying to be all pure or something, are you? 'Cause, hate to break it to you, but I think you lost your innocence a long time ago." Alex quirked his eyebrow. They both knew the lame joke was just a way to break the strange tension that was surrounding them. Usually Alex was totally comfortably around Meredith. They'd been friends for years, and had been through a lot together. And yeah, now they occasionally had sex, really hot sex, but things had never been awkward. But something about tonight felt different. He sensed something was bothering Mer, and he was curious what it was.

Meredith had asked Alex to go to Joe's with her for the sole purpose of telling him about the pregnancy, but now she was suddenly very nervous._ Snap out of it_, she though to herself. _It's just Alex. Just tell him._

"Actually there is a reason why I'm not drinking." Meredith amended her previous statement.

Alex just took a swig of his beer and looked at her expectantly.

"I'm pregnant."

Alex's eyes grew to the size of saucers, and he nearly choked on the gulp of brown liquid he had just swallowed.

He caught his breath and when he spoke his voice came out low and raspy. "Are you sure?"

Meredith only nodded. She kept her gaze fixed on the table in front of her. She had yet to meet Alex's eyes. She was scared of what she might find there.

They both knew what was coming next. "Is it mine?"

Her piercing blue eyes finally met his warm brown ones. "I don't know." She whispered.

He gave his own nod, then looked down. "Have you told Shepherd?"

"No. Just you and Cristina." Meredith's voice was surprisingly steady. "I thought you should know first. I didn't want you to hear it from someone else."

"Does he know about us?" Alex's next question brought the true weight of the situation to the table.

This was the one subject that had always been off-limits. Alex never talked about Izzie. About how scared he was when she was sick. About how hurt he was when she left him. About how bitter it made him. And she never talked about Derek. About how he was never around. About how he ignored her. About how they never spoke anymore. About how she was cheating on him.

Meredith glanced up quickly realizing the dangerous territory they had just entered. Alex saw how skeptical she looked and tried to justify himself. "Just wondering if I have to watch my back. He's got a mean right hook."

"No." Meredith finally answered. "No, he doesn't know."

"Are you going to tell him?"

"Well I kind of have to now, don't you think?" Meredith scoffed.

Alex just shrugged. They both knew what he was implying. Derek never had to know. She could have her perfect McBaby and live her perfect McLife, with no one the wiser. She turned her face away from him, trying to hide the tears that had suddenly sprung into her eyes.

When she turned back around, he was staring at her intently. "I wouldn't do that." She whispered. "If this baby is yours, you have every right to be a part of its life. I'm not taking that away from you."

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><p>Later that night, Meredith laid in bed staring at the ceiling.<p>

This was the same ceiling she stared at as child when the shouts of her parents, Ellis and Thatcher, kept her awake at night. This was the same ceiling she stared at as a teenager, after she lost her virginity. This was the same ceiling she stared at with Cristina when Burke left her at their wedding. This was the same ceiling she stared at with Izzie when Denny died. This was the same ceiling she stared at when she ate ice cream with George. This was the same ceiling she stared at when the random guys she brought home from the bar were sleeping soundly next to her. This was the same ceiling she stared at when it was Derek sleeping there next to her. This was same ceiling she stared after the first time she slept with Alex. And now she was staring at the same ceiling again... pregnant.

She thought about Alex, across the hall, probably staring at his own ceiling. She wondered what he was thinking about. She wondered if he was thinking about her.

He was, in fact, thinking about her. Well her, and the tiny human growing in her uterus. _I might be a father_. The thought kept running through his head, in between memories of his own father drinking and beating him as a child, and memories of Izzie and how her whole face brightened when she talked about having kids someday.

He had so many questions, so many worries, so many doubts, running through his mind. He rubbed his bloodshot eyes and sighed.

Alex and Meredith laid in their respective beds, in their respective rooms, staring at their respective ceilings. And they had one single, solitary, thought in common.

_I've really gotten myself into a mess this time._


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: I hope you all like this chapter! It's a little longer, and a little angsty-er. Reviews, constructive criticism, and opinions are welcomed and encouraged!_**

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><p>The next day Meredith was in the Resident's lounge telling Cristina about her conversation with Alex the night before. The reality of this pregnancy had finally started to hit her, now that someone besides Cristina knew. There was an actual living human being growing inside her body. She was pacing and rambling, her thoughts and emotions changing as quickly as her direction.<p>

"This has to be the hormones, right? I mean, I'm not really this mentally unstable, right?" Meredith asked her friend, frantically.

It was pure coincidence that Derek happened to be walking by just as Cristina exclaimed:

"What do you expect? You're pregnant!"

He stopped in his tracks. His mind immediately traveling to Meredith, knowing that Dr. Yang was her main confidant. _No_. He thought. _It can't be. _He shook his head. _Yang could be talking to anyone. It could be anyone in there._

But he couldn't walk away without knowing for sure if it was his wife in that room.

He turned around and walked in.

His eyes immediately landed on Meredith. She was standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, eyes wide.

"Oh my God." He breathed. And then, "You're pregnant?"

"Um. I'll just, be going..." Cristina stood up and pointed at the door. Once she had left, Derek closed the space between himself and Meredith and gathered her into his arms.

"Is it true?" He asked. "We're really having a baby?"

Meredith saw the light in his eyes. If only she had known getting pregnant was the way to get him to notice her again. Too bad it wasn't that simple anymore.

She shifted uncomfortably and released herself from his grasp. "Yes, it's true."

He heard the tone in her voice when she spoke, and the look on her face as she turned away form him. Something was wrong.

He wasn't stupid. He could put two and two together.

"No." He said. "Mer, no." He was shaking his head repeatedly.

"I..." Meredith turned around to look at him, wringing her hands nervously.

"Don't say it." She could see the anger and hurt welling up in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Derek." She said, looking down. "It's possible this baby isn't yours."

"Goddamnit, Meredith!" He screamed, slamming his fist against a locker. "How could you do this to me?"

"What did you expect?" Meredith screamed back, a little shocked from his sudden outburst. It had been weeks since he'd paid any amount of attention to her. "You never come home anymore! We never talk anymore!" She was trembling with anger. It was as if all of the stress of the last few months was finally coming out. "I'm surprised you even care!"

"Of course I care! You're my wife! I love you, Meredith!"

"Well, you sure have a funny way of showing it." And after a moment she added. "And I'm not your wife."

"Excuse me?" He asked, with pure anguish evident in his voice. Sure they had never made it official, but neither of them had ever doubted the bond that their little blue post-it represented.

Meredith ignored the question, figuring she could open _that _can of worms another time. Instead, she pointed the conversation in a different direction. "Derek, if this child is yours, than you will be it's father. I won't keep you from them. But I don't know if I can do this anymore... I don't know if I want us."

"And if it's not mine?"

"Then I guess we just figure it out when the time comes."

Meredith's apparent nochalance about the whole situation infuriated Derek. Could she really throw their relationship away so easily? What about everything they'd been through? What about their history?

And then he thought about all the nights he'd spent at the hospital. All those nights when she was finding comfort in someone else... It was as if his worst nightmare was coming true.

The thought of his wife, and she was his wife as far as he was concerned, growing a person inside of her, the thought of her raising that child with someone else, the thought of her hugging, kissing, loving, someone else, made him sick to his stomach.

He had to know.

"Who is it, Meredith? Who have you been sleeping with?"

When she didn't respond right away, his anger only grew. "I have a right to know."

He was right, she knew. He did have a right to know. And it wasn't as if she could keep it a secret forever. This wasn't how she planned on telling him, but I guess there wasn't really a right way to say something like this.

"Alex." She whispered.

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><p>Alex was sitting in the cafeteria, trying to force down the mush that the hospital considered food, when he heard a booming voice call out from the other side of the room.<p>

"KAREV!" Everyone in the room looked up, looking for the person responsible.

Alex turned around and saw Derek striding toward him, disgust evident on his face.

"Shit." He muttered to himself, realizing that he must've found out about the baby. He stood up as Derek approached him. "Look, man-"

But it was no use. Alex barely got two words out before Derek's fist connected with the side of his face. He hit the ground with a thud, and the sudden ringing in his head drowned out the shocked voices of the people around him

But, he wasn't one to give up. He'd been a wrestler for godsakes. Alex scrambled to his feet. The only thing on his mind was pounding Derek to oblivion. God, he really hated this guy. He hated him for putting Meredith through so much shit over the years. He hated him for ignoring her, for not valuing the amazing woman that he had. And Alex suddenly realized that he hated the thought that it could be this man's baby growing inside of Meredith.

Just as he was about to lunge at Derek, and make good on his threatening thoughts, Meredith bursted through the crowd.

"Stop it!" She yelled stepping in between the two men. "Both of you, stop it right now!"

Right then a hush fell over the room. The only thing you could hear was the steady thump of footsteps heading toward them. The crowd parted and Chief Webber stood there, his fists clenched by his sides.

"All three of you in my office, right now."


	5. Chapter 5

"Derek." Chief Webber said sternly. "You better have a damn good reason for punching out one on my Residents in the middle of the cafeteria!"

Derek and Alex were both sitting opposite the chief in his office. Derek had an ice pack resting on his hand, and Alex had a towel pressed against the cut the cut on his brow. His eye was turning slightly purple. Meredith was standing quietly in the back corner, biting her nails.

"Why don't you ask this guy!" Derek hissed in Alex's direction.

"I didn't even do anything!" Alex shouted. "I was just sitting there, eating my lunch, minding my own business, and Shepherd comes up out of nowhere and slugs me!"

"Didn't do anything? How about sleeping with my wife! How's that for something?" With that announcement Richard's eyes grew wide. Meredith took that as her cue to step in.

"I'm pregnant." She blurted. "I'm pregnant, and I don't know which one of them is the father. That's why they're so upset with each other." All the three men stared at her. Richard with shock, Derek with disgust, and Alex with pride.

Meredith had a tendency to run away from her problems, and Alex was proud that she was facing this one head on. She wasn't hiding, she wasn't running. This gave him hope that he could deal with the situation, without freaking out, as well.

The Chief shook his head. "I thought the drama between the two of you ended a long time ago." He said, gesturing between Derek and Meredith. The couple had caused enough drama and hospital gossip over the years. He thought they had grown up, he thought they were past that. Apparently he was wrong.

"It would have been, if Meredith hadn't decided to whore around." Derek muttered fiercely.

This statement brought Meredith hurtling back in time. It wasn't the first time Derek had called her a whore. She'd never forget the conversation they'd had in the stairwell years before. Derek had gone back to Addison, and Meredith had been sleeping with random guys from Joe's in order to try to get over Derek. He didn't have a good reaction then, and they hadn't even been together at the time. She could guess how pissed he was this time. But it didn't make the sting of his words any less painful.

When Alex jumped up, ready to give Derek just as good as _he_ had gotten, the Chief shouted, "Enough!"

"Karev, go find Sloan and get your face stitched up." He nodded towards the door. "You're bleeding on my carpet. And you," he said, motioning to Derek. "Have Torres take a look at your hand. The last thing I need is my best neurosurgeon out of commission."

Once both men had left, Richard turned toward Meredith. "I'm sorry you're in this position, Meredith." She barely nodded in response. "You've made some poor choices, but that doesn't make you a bad person." He assured her.

She didn't answer him, knowing if she tried the only thing that would come out would be sobs. She'd been through so much emotional turmoil in the last week. She just wanted to relax. She wished she could close her eyes and tap her heels and suddenly be at home in a nice warm bubble bath.

"So." Richard said, changing the subject. "Have you made an appointment yet?" he nodded toward her stomach. "To make sure everything is going smoothly?"

Meredith found here voice, and managed to answer without bursting into tears. "No, not yet. I got a prescription for pre-natal vitamins, but I haven't decided on an OB yet."

He nodded once and said, "I'll call Addison."

"Chief, I appreciate the gesture, but I really don't think that's necessary." Meredith said. The last thing she wanted was her 'husbands' ex-wife coming to Seattle to complicate and already touchy situation. She_ really_ didn't need that added stress.

"Meredith, you're like a daughter to me. You know that I only want the best for you." Richard looked into her eyes. "And Addison is the best."

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><p>Meanwhile, Alex was sitting on an exam table, getting his cut stitched up by Dr. Sloan.<p>

After a few minutes of silence, Mark's curiosity got the better of him.

"So, what happened to you?" He asked.

Alex sighed. He might as well tell him, the whole hospital would know soon anyway.

"Meredith's pregnant, and the baby might be mine. Shepherd found out and did _this_." He said, gesturing to his face.

Mark stopped suturing and looked at Alex with surprise. Once he decided the bleeding man was telling the truth, he began to stitch again.

"Wow." Was all he could manage. "I'm surprised you look this good." Alex would've rolled his eyes in response if it wouldn't have sent searing pain though his head.

After awhile Mark spoke again. "You know my loyalty lies with Derek. He's my best friend." Alex glanced at him. "But." Mark said pointedly. "I can sympathize with your situation."

Alex scoffed. "How?" He wondered how on Earth anybody could have ever been in the situation he was in right now.

"Addison." Mark said simply.

"Oh, right." Alex said, remembering the story Addison had told him so long ago. How had he ignored such an obvious comparison?

"I know you've heard the story before, most people have, so I'll keep it short and sweet." Mark said. "Derek started ignoring her. She was lonely. She cheated on him with me. She got pregnant with my child, and he ended up losing his wife."

Alex stared straight ahead and winced slightly as the needle went through a particularly deep part of his gash.

"So, cut him some slack." Mark finished. "He's probably having a bad case of deja vu."

"I'm not cutting him any slack." Alex promised. "He called her a whore." Just the thought of what Derek had said caused his blood to boil once again.

Mark sighed, knowing how nasty Derek could get when he was hurt like this.

"I'll talk to him."


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: This chapter is a gold mine! You've got Addison/Meredith interactions, Cristina/Alex interactions, Cristina/Meredith interactions, AND Alex/Meredith interactions. Not to mention it's crazy longer than any of the other chapters. I probably could have split it up. Oh, well. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! Review, review, review!**_

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><p>"How have you been feeling?" Addison asked as she set up the machine for Meredith's ultrasound.<p>

"I've had a little morning sickness, but other than that, fine." Meredith replied.

They'd already had 'the conversation'. The one where they acknowledge how awkward and complicated it is for Addison to be Meredith's doctor. But they've agreed to do it anyway. Because Addison _is_ the best, and it's really the baby that's important, after all.

But Addison doesn't know how complicated it_ really_ is. She doesn't know about Alex. All she knows is that Richard called her, told her Meredith was pregnant, and asked if she would please come to Seattle and take the case.

It was almost painful for Meredith to put a smile on her face and say _Yes, thank you_. when Addison said _Congratulations, you and Derek must be so happy._

"Let's get started." Addison said as she squeezed the ultrasound gel onto Meredith's lower abdomen.

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><p>Meanwhile, Alex was standing at the nurses station on the surgical wing, nervously tapping his foot.<p>

"What's with you, Spawn?" Cristina asked, as she walked up and dropped a chart on the counter. She hadn't seen Alex this jittery since he found out about Izzie's cancer.

"Mer's at her appointment." He answered, turning to look at her. "With Addison."

"I know." Cristina said, looking at him expectantly.

"I just hope everything's... going okay." Alex shrugged trying to act nonchalant.

"Mhm." Cristina said, obviously not believing that was the only thing bothering him.

"Fine." He sighed. "She's going to find out how far along she is... It might give us more of an idea of who the father is."

"Ah." She said, nodding. "And you're praying to God she was already pregnant when she started sleeping with you."

"What? No" Alex looked up, slightly confused and slightly annoyed. "I want to be the father of this baby. I mean... I don't know how great of a father I would be, I know mine was a piece of shit. And I'm terrified of screwing up and not being good enough. But... if it's that _pig's_ child inside of her... I don't know what'll I do."

Cristina just stared at him. "You're serious aren't you?"

"Yeah." He said solemnly, looking down. "I am.

"Wow." She said after awhile. "If it means anything, I think you're good for her. Meredith, I mean. She seems happy around you. And it helps that you're stepping up. You know, not running away from the whole baby thing." And then she added, "You'd be a good father, Karev."

Alex was shocked. He never heard people say nice things about him, ever. Especially not from Cristina who didn't really like him, and wasn't one to give compliments to begin with. He knew she was being sincere, and he really appreciated it.

"Thanks, Yang."

"Yeah, this moment's over." She said quickly, before turning on her heel and walking away.

Alex laughed softly to himself. Total Cristina.

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><p>Back at Meredith's appointment, Addison was saying...<p>

"Alright Meredith, It looks like you're about... 7 weeks along."

_Shit._ Meredith thought to herself. She was hoping this information was going to help her figure out who the father of the baby was. But as she traveled 7 weeks back in her head, she realized she still had no idea who had gotten her pregnant. That was about the time she first started sleeping with Alex. Which just happened to be right after she'd been having constant sex with Derek. She had been trying anything and everything to get his attention, and she figured jumping him anytime she got the chance might do the trick. Needless to say, it didn't work.

"It's too early to hear a heartbeat, but everything seems normal." Addison was saying.

Meredith had questions she needed to ask. And she knew this meant letting Addison in on her situation. _Oh, well. _She thought. _Here we go._

"You're pretty quiet over there. You doing okay? Have any questions?" Addison asked her.

"Actually, yes I do." Meredith fidgeted with the hem on her shirt, which was laying high above her waist. "I was wondering how far along I have to be to get a paternity test."

Addison's jaw dropped and her mouth formed a perfect "Oh."

That's when Meredith began telling her story. She told Addison all about Derek and the problems they'd been having, about Alex and how he'd been there for her during those times, and how she was there for him too after Izzie left. She told her how Derek had punched Alex and called her a whore, and how stressed and upset she had been. Everything started spilling out, and by the time she was finished she had silent tears streaming down her face.

But, Addison was very reassuring.

"I know we haven't always got along Meredith... But I want you to know that you won't go through this alone. You have a friend in me." She placed her hand over Meredith's with so much care that she started sobbing even harder. "I've been where you are. But I didn't have the guts to go through with it. And I regret my decision to abort everyday. I lost my chance to have children because I was cowardly and selfish. I never made it this far, Meredith... You're a stronger person than I am."

Meredith nodded and mumbled a quiet "Thank you."

"And to answer you're question." Addison leaned back. "You can get a paternity test in another 10 weeks or so. About the same time you can find out the gender of the baby."

Meredith sighed. Another 10 weeks? That was forever. Anything could happen in 10 weeks.

"But you should also know that a prenatal paternity test is somewhat risky to the fetus. So just be very sure you don't want to wait until after the birth..."

"No. I need to find out as soon as possible." Meredith assured her. "Please."

There was no way she would make it through this pregnancy without knowing who the father was. She wouldn't put Derek and Alex through that. She wouldn't put herself through that. She had to know.

"Okay." Addison nodded. "In that case, I'll see you in about a month for your next regular check-up. I'll be in town until tomorrow evening, but after that if you have any problems or complications call me immediately."

"Alright." Meredith had wiped the gel off of her stomach, and was now fixing her shirt and heading towards the door. "And Addison... thank you. For everything."

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><p>As Meredith made her way back to the surgical floor she ran into Cristina outside of the elevator<p>

"Hey, how'd it go." The dark-haired resident asked.

Meredith sighed. "I still don't know who the father is. It'll be another 10 weeks until I can find out." She reached over and pushed the elevator button. "I was actually just on my way to find Alex. I'm nervous about telling him... All of this not knowing... it's getting to all of us. I just don't want him to freak out and bail while were waiting to find out."

"Mer, I don't think that's going to happen. I know it's Karev and all, but he really seems to be in this for the long haul. And it's me saying this so you know it's true." Cristina raised her eyebrow. "Don't underestimate him."

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><p>When Meredith finally found Alex he was sitting in a conference room, doing paperwork.<p>

"Hey, hi." Alex was startled when the Meredith walked in. "How are you? How did it go?" He trying to act as calm and normal as possible but hey could both see through the facade. He was filled with nerves on the inside.

"Good, it went... good." Meredith nodded as she walked over and took a seat next to her friend, her lover. "I'm actually kind of glad that Addison's my doctor. It's nice to have someone who knows what this is like."

"I'm glad." Alex said softly. And he was. He wanted Meredith to be relaxed and as worry-free as possible throughout this pregnancy. There was a good chance it was his kid in there, after all. "So, did you find out..." The sentence didn't need finishing. It was the one thing on all of their minds.

"I'm 7 weeks. And... no I still don't know... who it is." She glanced at him, gaging his reaction. "It'll be another couple of months until I can find out."

"Okay." He said. He seemed fine, he didn't look angry or upset. Maybe a little disappointed... but that was to be expected. "Just let me know if I can... do anything."

"I will. Thanks, Alex"

"No problem."

"I'm gonna, uh, go find Derek." Meredith said, pointing behind her at the door. "I have to tell him, too."

"Yeah, okay. I'll just, uh, see you later, at home, I guess." Alex stuttered. It pained him every time he heard her say his name. He knew things were really rough, but he still feared that she would end up finding her way back to Derek, just like she always had. God, he hoped that wasn't the case.


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: I'm so terribly sorry it has taken me this long to update. I had some family issues to deal with and had to travel out of state where I didn't have internet. And then I was having horrible writers block. And then when I FINALLY wrote most of the chapter I had computer problems and it got deleted. And then I just didn't have the energy to re-write it... But, alas! Here it is, and I hope you like it :) Reviews are appreciated!_**

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><p>It was a few nights later when Alex knocked on Meredith's open door-frame and held up a bag of take-out.<p>

"Chinese?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure." She smiled, and put the magazine she'd been reading back on her nightstand. Alex walked over to her and crawled on the bed with her.

"Mmm," Meredith said, as she began pulling cartons out of the bag. "All of my favorites."

"Yeah." Alex responded. "I didn't know what would agree with your stomach, so I just got a little bit of everything."

Meredith gave him a small smile. Alex had definitely been standing up to the plate, and she would be lying if she said it didn't surprise her a little bit. She thought back to what Cristina had said a few days earlier. _Don't underestimate him._ Meredith was beginning to see what her friend was referring to. This was definitely a knew side to Alex.

It was then that the man in question suddenly jolted her out of her thoughts.

"So, how'd it go with Derek?" He asked. "When you went to go tell him about your appointment?"

Meredith shrugged. "I overheard him talking with Mark. You know, he telling Derek to lighten up on us and everything. Which is kind of surprising, by the way. And anyway, Derek started getting pretty pissed off. So I just ran in, said what I needed to say, and got the hell out of there."

But, Alex was only half listening. While Meredith was talking, he had looked around the room and noticed things he had missed when he first walked in. Like the boxes stacked in the corner, the half empty closet partially hidden by a curtain, and the faded square on the wall where a framed post-it had previously been hanging.

"What's with the stuff?" He asked curiously, nodding towards the boxes. He was praying it was what he thought it was. For a moment, he was shocked at his own hopes, and the underlying implications they had. But he brushed the feeling off.

"It's most of Derek's things." Meredith answered quietly. Alex looked at her with a look of shock and pride. "It's over. Really, truly, over." She finished.

Alex put down his fork so he could reach over and squeeze her hand.

The feeling gave Meredith the confidence to continue. "I know it'll be hard to raise this baby on my own. Especially if it's Derek's. He's going to be angry. I mean- _really_ angry. And don't get me wrong, I'm scared. But I think I can do this." She blinked back the tears that had sprung to her eyes. "I'm finally growing up." She laughed.

But, Alex was stuck on something else Meredith had said.

"You don't have to do this on your own." It was in this moment Alex swore to himself, he wouldn't let her down. He would be there for her through this experience, and he would be here for this child. Whether it was his or not. This was his chance to become the man everyone said he had the potential to be. "I'm here for you. I'm not going anywhere."

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><p>Meredith fell asleep that night snuggled up to Alex. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. On the contrary, it was the only place she wanted to be in that moment.<p>

It wasn't the first time they'd slept together, in the most innocent sense of the phrase. Although Alex's reputation was somewhat cocky and harsh, he was a surprisingly good cuddler. In fact, Alex and Meredith had only had sex a fraction of the time that they'd spent sleeping in the same bed. It was him that she went to when she was upset. He was the one that held her close. The one that comforted her.

Meredith was realizing more and more how much she hoped that Alex was the father of her baby. It freaked her out at first. But she decided to go with it. It felt right, and she was finished second-guessing everything. She deserved some damn happiness, after all.

Alex's thoughts were traveling along the same line as Meredith's. He had admitted to himself that he had feelings for Meredith, awhile ago. And now that she was pregnant, it only confirmed those thoughts. He'd decided before that he wasn't going to say anything to her about it. I mean she was 'married' to Shepherd... He had decided he could live with just having a part of her. It was better than losing her completely.

That had been his thought process before. But now... Derek was out of the picture. Meredith and himself were quite likely having a baby together. It was time to let his feelings out in the open.

He heard Meredith sigh in content, and pulled her closer. And it was just before sleep took over her that she heard the man beside her whisper, "It wasn't just sex."


End file.
